Silver Wings
by Jessie Dunkan
Summary: Deep in the heart of Du Weldenvarden, the cities of the elves are shrinking and fading away. No dragons have walked the lands of Alegasia for 2000 years, but, in the shadow of this once radiant island, there is a girl whose discovery will change the world
1. Kyra

**I am not Christopher Paolini and, as such, I do not own any of his characters. I only own mine. And without further ado...**

"Where is she off to now?" I looked, just in time to see a cloaked figure disappear into the woods.

"I wouldn't bother with her," I said, " Kyra always comes back." Airdail looked at me with worry plain in her eyes.

"I keep waiting for her to get lost. She's so fragile compared to everyone else, and she doesn't seem to realize it." I scoffed at her words.

"What?" she said, glaring at me as I bent over the chain mail I had been working on.

"Perhaps that's why she's always off on little adventures," I said, then was suddenly serious, "Maybe she wants to prove her worth." I judged her expression.

"She's half human, you know that," I continued, "Everyone seems to look down upon her because she'll never be as great as them... I'd want to prove them wrong too." Her gaze fell to the floor, but I had seen her sadness at the truth of my words.

"But she's average," she defended her daughter, "She's supposed to be much less than what she is. She's keeping up in magic, archery, and the ancient language. She's doing better than anyone could have ever expected."

"But it's still not enough." she looked up with mournful eyes.

"I know, Rhunon," tears brimmed her deep brown eyes.

I looked back at the place where Kyra had disappeared, then turned back to the forge. She would come back, she always did.

**Kyra's POV**

I stepped into the welcoming arms of Du Weldenvarden with a glorious sensation of freedom. Freedom from the stares and the whispers. Freedom from the judgment.

I could be myself in the forest. The critters of the woods were my friends. They didn't judge me. They accepted me without protest. I'd even go so far as to call them my friends.

Nature was my confidant. It always had been.

I walked with ease over the branches and leaves on the forest floor. I was almost soundless. I had worked so hard to achieve what the other elves had naturally. I still cracked a stick occasionally, but I was getting better by the day.

I pulled my deep blue cloak closer around my shoulders.

The wind made the trees shudder and a couple of animals skittered across my path. I breathed in the air, smelling rain. I didn't want to go home yet. The _forest_ was my home.

I looked up at the canopy of trees above me as I walked on. The broad leaves rustled in the wind. If one of the Lethrblaka flew by overhead, even now, he would not see our concealed life. We were made invisible by more than the trees.

"Uf." I huffed as my stomach hit the ground.

I propped myself up on my elbows and looked for what had tripped me.

_Stupid roots._ I untangled my foot from the vines that had concealed the root, glad this had happened here and not in the village. The trees didn't laugh.

I got up and started brushing the pine needles and leaves off of my beautiful cloak. My foot had torn the bottom of it with the fall.

I brushed the last of the pine needles off, then looked back forward, content on starting again. I abruptly stopped. A few feet away was a clearing.

I walked cautiously forward. If I had learned one thing of the forest, it was that it never stood still and each time it moved, you couldn't trust the new adventure to be safe.

I suspiciously took my surroundings in. The valley was about a mile to my right and left. There was three quarters of a mile between me and the side opposing me.

To my right was a lake. It's black waters were too smooth, like someone was scrying on it's entire surface.

To my left was a mountain-sized rock formation its wide mouth opened in a snarl towards the lake.

The moon shining over the entire scene gave the meadow an eerie, unwelcome feeling. I unconsciously shrugged my shoulders as though trying to hide and pulled my cloak tighter around them.

The air was suddenly frigid. I shivered as a gust of wind invaded the meadow, forcing the grass out of its peaceful state and making it gust toward my ankles as though wishing me gone.

I almost turned around, but something about the black glass of the lake's surface caught my eye. I couldn't leave, not yet.

I walked to the smooth edge of the water and gazed into the reflection-less glass. If I hadn't known any better I would have said someone was scrying_ me_, but that was impossible.

If someone _was_ scrying me, I wouldn't know. It wouldn't effect the water near me.

But why was the water so smooth? And why didn't it reflect my image or the moon's?

I knelt and waved my hand over the glassy surface, but nothing happened. I leaned my body over, expecting to see my emerald eyes appear below me. It remained a stubborn black.

I leaned back, pressed my lips together, and exhaled sharply through my nose. Why couldn't this lake behave like all of the other lakes? It was awfully frustrating.

I rocked back, allowing myself to sit, and gave the cave a good stare. It looked normal enough, but for the fact that its mouth was much too large to be natural. It was easily nine deer high, if they could be stacked one on top of the other, that's including their heads.

The image of nine deer standing on each other's heads popped into my mind. I giggled at the thought.

The trees shifted as though to look at me. The wind brushed softly into the valley again. The cave yawned at me.

The lake remained motionless.

I returned my gaze to it, still very much intrigued. It didn't move for anything, not even the wind.

Would it move for me?


	2. Black Waters

**A/N - I am not Paolini. And now for something completely different. I edited the first chapter. Do with that information as you will. I will force nothing upon you.**

I extended my hand out above the water, hesitantly. It didn't show any objection to me holding it there except for stubbornly refusing to reflect it.

I let my hand hover there for a few moments, deciding what to do, then slowly lowered it to the water.

A centimeter from contact, the water pulled away from my hand, creating a bowl under my extended fingertips. A low growl echoed through the air from all directions.

With a gasp I pulled my hand away, falling back and onto my palms.

I slammed my eyes shut. Silence filled my ears, locking me in darkness. I waited.

When nothing happened, I chanced a peek at my surroundings. The lake was still, the air was silent.

The valley held its breath.

Then the wind howled, once again the grass ushered me away. The cave's mouth produced a deep note as the wind blew across it. The sound thrummed through the valley and shook my body. The trees whispered, joining the deep melody.

And the lake... the lake's waters were swirling, not with the wind, but to its own beat. It swirled toward the shore, then back to the middle, crashing and raising four feet into the air.

It swirled farther out, drenching my shoes, then back to the middle, rising ten feet in the air. When it crashed back down, the following splash fountained up and out then froze in space.

The valley was suddenly quiet, but for the sound of running water.

The lake's edge was now tickling my toes. The middle was no longer visible, but from the middle, the black water fanned out, connecting back with the water about five feet out, two feet high all around the center.

I was motionless for a moment, frozen in shock. Staring at the frightening mystery before me.

I slowly got to my feet, unsure of how to react to the water.

As soon as I had fully straightened, the fountain fell. The water moved back to its still form much too quickly, but I didn't notice that.

In the center of the lake, was a sword.

Its blade shown white against the black of the waters. Its point rested, perfectly balanced, on top of the water.

It was too far away for me to make out anything more about it in the semi-darkness, but there was something green reflecting the moon's beams at the end of its hilt.

Bidden by some unknown urge, I stepped out onto the lake.

The waters held my weight firmly, like black marble. I remained tense as I walked, scared that the rumbling growl would return or the water would be upset by the waves again.

I reached the middle and approached the sword. The hilt and size of the blade betrayed it as a hand and a half sword. Its blade was indeed white, but it sparkled like opal.

The hilt was of the most beautiful design. The glint of green I had seen on the shore was from an emerald at the end of the hilt, below where the hand would sit.. In the middle of the hilt was a diamond-shaped hole. Through the hole was strung a red ribbon which held a key.

The key's head was perfectly circular, but it was the blade of the key that caught my attention. It was too wide to fit into any lock and was perfectly rectangular.

The flat part of the blade of the key was decorated with three runes of an ancient language I was unfamiliar with.

I reached out, intent on touching the key, but stopped, pulling my hand back. Trying to touch the water had had unexpected results that could very easily have turned bad. What would happen if I touched the sword while I was standing said water?

It didn't seem like a very good idea.

But there was something about the sword that called to me. It was like gravity had shifted and was pulling my hand toward its hilt.

And I couldn't take my eyes from the emerald. Its depths ensnared my mind.

Something was swirling there.

My body, without my consent, reached out for the hilt.

I felt my fingers wrap around its silver, seeing nothing but the depths of the emerald.

Movement fluttered again as an image slid from it and into my mind.

The image of a dragon.

**Who is the dragon sharing her thoughts? Review me your best guess.**


	3. The Key and the Sword

**A/N - I really want to know who you think the dragon is, so before you start reading PLEASE REVIEW AND TELL ME!! I am not Paolini.**

The image swirled into my head like mist, blocking out all to my eyes but the ether realm.

_Who be you to call upon the power of this sword?_ A powerful voice resounded inside me head, speaking in the ancient language. _What have you been named?_

I thought about this. Did he mean the name given me by my parents, or my true name?

_The first shall do._

_Then it is Kyra._ I said... thought.

_Greetings, Kyra. My name is Bid'daum. I was the first of the Shur'tugen, the ridden._ The Ridden? Why wasn't there tell of the Ridden in the history books. There I could only find the Riders.

_Names fade with time, as you will learn, little hatchling, but this was not my purpose for contacting you in this manner._ He paused here, waiting to see if I had any questions before he began.

_Then why did you contact me?_ I prodded, asking him to speak of what he had wanted to.

A rumbling resounded in my head. It was really very odd to have a dragon laugh in your head. Especially one as ancient as the first Eragon. He lived a _long_ time ago.

The rumbling abruptly stopped. Bid'daum looked at me in full seriousness.

_Exactly how long ago did he live?_ He said, his eyebrows furrowed.

I thought a long time. Trying to remember the line of the Riders.

_Well,_ I thought,_ Eragon and his dragon Saphira lived two thousand years ago; Anurin lived some odd millennia before him; and the first Eragon, and you, live millennia before that. _

There was a long silence between us as Bid'daum took all of this in.

_And what happened to the Riders? Where are they now?_

_They either l__ef__t __Alagaësia or died long ago. _It was just then that I realized the loss we faced because of the dragon's non-existence in Alagaësia.

Just seeing the apparition of Bid'daum eased a pain in me that I didn't know I had. I found myself sad that the beautiful creature before me no longer graced the land and air of Alagaësia.

Bid'daum seemed equally as shocked at the disappearance of the Riders.

For many moments we mourned for the past. Bid'daum abruptly ended it.

_There is no time to waste on deaths that happened long ago. The only way you could have summoned the Edursvar, Sword of Prominence, and the Zëis abr Wyrda, Key of Fate, is if you had a heart equal to Rider Eragon's. It means a great deal that you could even find this valley. Since Eragon's time, only three people, including yourself, have discovered it. _

_The first was a scholar. He wrote about the valley and published his work on it, gaining the title of a lunatic. _

_The second was a boy of eighteen. He was the son of one of the Forsworn, though of which, I do not know. Neither do I know what befell him when he left the valley, for it was never written in the history of this land. _

_Now you have come to be here. Why? And how were you able to call upon these powerful instruments? I cannot give you the answers to these questions because I do not know them myself. But I _can_ tell you of their purposes and give you the power to use them._

_I presume you know some of the ancient language as you have been able to follow my words with semi-ease. _

_Yes_, I said.

_Good. That will make this commune of knowledge much easier._

_Edursvar, _Bid'daum continued, _was a sword forged by my Rider, Eragon from one of my scales. As such it is stronger than any sword it encounters, but it will only defeat if the one baring it is equally as strong. You will have to train with the best of swordsmen if you wish to become such. Here is my warning- Do not wield Edursvar until then. _

_Regarding the Zëis abr Wyrda, _his voice became more cautious now,_ It is a tool only to be used when absolutely necessary. It points you towards your fate, _here he paused again, _but do not use it lightly. Your fate is not always what you plan it to be, rarely is it something good. The words used to activate this power are "Rigál pömnuria wyrda" (Reveal my fate). I repeat, do not use it unless you have no other option._

_Edursvar's sheath is in the cave, but there is more than that in there. Please, allow the all but the sheath to rest in peace. _

Bid'daum's voice started to fade. _You may leave Du Vrangr Guntag (The Wandering Valley) whenever you feel you are ready, but remember, you may never return once you go..._

When I awoke, I was drenched with sweat and the warm rain falling gently onto the valley from the gray sky of morning. Edursvar's hilt was clasped in my hand.

I sat up and examined the two artifacts. Now that I knew what they were, the felt heavy in my hands.

The Zëis abr Wyrda still hung on its red ribbon and, as I looked at it, the ribbon seemed just the right length to tie around my neck. I did so immediately.

I stood, slowly. My body was very stiff and sore.

When I was straight, I began a slow walk to the cave, the only shelter from the rain. I walked in and looked for some way to bring light to it. The sun didn't reach into its depths.

I searched with my free hand and found wood gathered there. A bit shocked, but too tired to be suspicious, I took some near the mouth of the cave and lit it with my magic. It barely took any of my energy, but I didn't have very much to begin with, so I was exhausted by the effort.

When it was crackling, I took one of the burning logs and turned toward the back of the cave.

The burning log fell to the dirt floor with a soft thud.

**What did Kyra see that shocked her enough to make her drop her torch? Review with your best guess.**


	4. The Cave

**Not Paolini.**

I stood there, speechless, for the longest time. I had never seen nor heard tell of anything remotely close to what was before me.

I was standing in the small, front section of the cave. The section I faced now was ten times bigger, and in the back... was a white dragon.

"Bid'daum?" I whispered to the dragon, but the dragon didn't move. I retrieved the torch from the ground and drew closer.

I tripped over something and almost fell. When I looked back, air was sucked into my lungs as I gasped in astonishment and fear.

I had tripped over a skeleton. That of a human.

As I looked back at the dragon, I saw the air shimmer. Realization slowly crept into my mind. The dragon was frozen in a moment, surrounded by a clear crystal.

His head was thrown up in a cry of agony, and I soon saw why. From all over his body, spears protruded like thorns on a rose bush.

The thin membrane of his wings was shredded by arrows. His blood, preserved by the crystal, surrounded him, soaking the floor and his scales in maroon pools.

I stared upon the gruesome scene, hoping it was just an apparition to disappear in a moment. But it remained solid.

Tears leaked from my eyes.

"Bid'daum, what did they do to you?" I whispered to the mighty dragon before me. "Why would anyone do this?"

I was oddly rejuvenated by the sight of Bid'daum. Even though he was frozen in diamond, the fact that he existed gave me an odd sense of hope.

I bowed to him respectfully, then searched for Edursvar's sheath. I found it among a few other items to my left, in the larger section of the cave.

There was an oiled longbow, of human craftsmanship, but a very nicely made one for that. Its quiver sat against the stone of the cave wall with with crow's feathers arrows in it.

There was another sword there as well. A one-handed sword, and though human made, it was, again, very finely made. The sword came with a sheath and belt and the bow and arrows were made to be easily carried and transported.

I picked up all of the items and carried them to the front section of the cave where my fire was crackling.

I set them against the wall on the left side and searched this smaller space. There was wood gathered on the right side of the cave. I walked closer.

There was a traveling bag beside the wood, closer to the cave mouth. When I searched it, I found clothes, empty cloths that had once held food, a hunting knife, the tools for making a fire, and other necessities for a traveler.

I picked each item up and out of the bag. They were all of the finest quality. And they would probably have caught a high price at any human market.

I packed the items back into the bag, shoving the two swords, bow, and quiver of arrows in as well. I didn't want to disturb the valley any longer than I had to. This was a place of peace. I didn't want to bother that peace.

I decided to stay the night here, as it was still raining, then trek back home in the morning if the storm let up.

For the mean time, I retrieved Edursvar and its sheath and belt from the travel bag and examined them. The belt was nothing spectacular. It was made to hold the sword without breaking or wearing with the weight of it. I detected a spell that kept it from wearing out.

The sheath was decorated silver. Embedded in it were diamonds, rubies, emeralds, sapphires, onyx, amber, and other precious jewels. They covered the entire hilt.

Then there was the sword. Its blade made me look back at the frozen dragon. He looked so real from where I sat now. I fully expected him to turn and breath flames of death upon me for touching his rider's sword.

I sighed and slid Edursvar back into its sheath, then placed it back into the traveler's bag.

It had been a long day.

I scooted against the stone wall, laying my head back. I allowed my mind to clear and wearily sunk into the waking sleep of an elf. As my body rested, I walked through the day's events, trying to riddle them out.

I listened to the rain pat softly on the grass.

Then I heard someone calling out.

I willed my body to awaken and listened more closely.

A soft wind carried my name to my ears.

Someone was calling me home.

**Okay. I think now is a good time to say that this story has turned out to be quite the opposite of what it was intended to be... And it's much better than it was. Till next time!**


	5. Children of the Elves

**This chapter has been re-written twice and it's still a little weird. Well, enjoy!**

I weakly pulled the traveler's pack, with the weapons I had found, over my shoulder. I was famished and sore from the previous day's adventure.

Right outside the cave's mouth, there was a tree that had not been there the night before.

It was bare of leaves and limbs and was hunched over, but where the whithered bark ended, there was a deep, purple-red berry hanging directly from the tree.

I stood there, staring at it for the longest time, wondering. Then I reached out, cautiously at first, and plucked the fruit off the branch.

I smelled it. Then ran it over for any possible poisons. It was clean.

I tested it against my tongue and, when nothing bad happened, pushed it into my mouth and began to chew.

The moment my teeth broke through the purple skin, a liquid spread over my mouth, down my throat, and through my entire body.

I shuddered as my body was suddenly revived. Though my stomach was still empty, I had more energy than if I had just eaten a mighty feast.

With new strength, I rushed into the trees. I wanted nothing but to get home.

I had jogged only a short ways when I stopped in my tracks.

"Kyra," a voice whispered. I froze, afraid. I knew that voice. It was the voice of Airdail, my mother.

I rushed through the forestry, crazed with forbaring. When I reached her I had to look away, and my eyes filled with tears.

Airdail's left breast was skewered with a Ra'zac's poisoned arrow. Blood ran down her cheek, from her mouth- telling me she had a pierced lung, filling with blood.

My lip trembled as I knelt beside her.

"Mom," my unsteady voice asked. Her eyes opened. She smiled when she saw me.

"Kyra, you're alright," her voice mirrored the relief on her face, "I thought they had gotten you before they came to the village. Thank goodness no harm has come to you."

"Who, mom?" I asked, confused, "Who did this to you?"

"The Ra'zac." A chill spread down my spine.

I was surprised when a burst of energy, starting from my spine, coursed through my body.

"They came riding the Lethrblaka. Our village had no chance. We fought a losing battle for two days. That was when the few remaining fled into the forest, I among them," she gestured to the arrow, "That's when I got this."

I didn't know what to say. Airdail closed her eyes.

"No," I rasped, tears streaming down my face, "No, mom, please! Don't die! Please!"

**3rd person present**

The sounds of the night filled the air, concealing all who passed.

A cloaked figure glides through the trees as effortlessly as the wind is currently breezing through the branches. Her hood is pulled up, hiding her face from wondering eyes.

A traveler's pack graces her back with weapons poking out of the top. Her hooded head twists around, suspiciously. She slides into a slight jog, gliding ever faster. Her presence barely disturbs the wildlife around.

A branch moves there, a leaf rustles here.

There is the sound of bowstring being pulled tight.

She breaks into a small clearing and is surrounded by the points of four arrows

"Halt!" a hooded male shouts in the ancient language, "Who are you?"

"That depends on who you are," she replied in the same language. He snarls and pulls the bow tighter.

"If," she says, "you are one of the Ra'zac, then I shall be forced to take you lives," She twists around, looking at all of the hidden faces.

**(switch into past tense)**

"But," she continued, "If you are my kin then I have to wonder why you are pointing arrows at my heart?" She removed her hood. Her dark hair shone in the bright moonlight, but it was her eyes that caught the attention.

They were the pale green of jade. They peeked out from under dark lashes. Nothing inhibited her hair.

"Because you betrayed us, Kyra!" The boy shouted, loosing an arrow, then removing his hood.

"Jierda!" The arrow broke half, the pieces flew to either side of the girl's outstretched hand. A long silence ensued in which the two stared at each other. One in shock, the other in anger.

"I did no such thing," Kyra said cautiously.

"You did," the fair boy spat, "How else can your timely disappearance be explained?" His dark blue eyes burned with fury as his shoulder-length, dark honey hair blew in the wind.

"I was gone for a day," her green eyes were advent, "How could I have told-"

The boy was already shaking his head. He looked at her, "You were gone for two weeks."

Her breath escaped her lungs. The others around the circle had lowered their bows.

"Vrael," a slight girl to the boy's right spoke up, "I don't think she betrayed us."

The boy looked at the girl, then at Kyra, suddenly unsure.

"If she didn't," he said, "Then why was she gone for two weeks?"

He looked accusingly at Kyra. She was suddenly exasperated.

"I," she struggled, "I had no idea I was gone for so long until you told me!" An uncomfortable silence followed her statement.

"Eyrë séka du yáe?" (Do you speak the truth?) Vrael questioned.

"Vel eïnradhin líf."(Upon my life.) Kyra answered.

Belief slowly spread across all of their faces although Vrael still didn't fully trust her.

Kyra recognized them the moment they removed their hoods. They were the children of the elves.

Vrael was the second child of the current queen. He had wonderful leadership skills and succeeded in almost everything he tried. But he always seemed to be overshadowed by his older sister.

The girl who had talked on her behalf was Malï. She was Rhunon's apprentice and showed skill enough to be a great blacksmith. Though she was small in size, she could be a formidable foe.

The boy beside Malï was Jura, named for a dragon. He had exceeding strength in magic, but his skills in weaponry were lacking.

The girl to her right was Katalina. She was one of the top bowmen in the entire elfin race. As such, she carried the best quality of bow and arrows. Both of which made her deadly.

The five elf-children stared at each other for a time, then Kyra broke the silence.

"What happened while I was gone?"

**Ah, such a sad tale... R&R!!**


	6. May the Stars Watch Over You

**I'm still not Paolini... sadly.**

**(KY POV 1st person... again. I might be changing the perspective occasionally. I hate doing it because it makes the story less stable, but I have to to accomplish what I'm trying to accomplish.)**

The faces around me grew grim.

"You'll have to be shown," Katalina said, "There's no way to explain it."

As we approached Kirtan, our town, everything seemed to get colder and colder. A chill ran down my spin. I shivered.

The town was a total wreck. The trees that had been our homes were pulled over, roots reaching to the heavens.

There were fresh graves where the recently dead had been buried by those surrounding me. They lay in a neat row with no label as to who they were.

"The Ra'zac came unexpectedly," Jura said, surveying his surroundings with sadness wrought deep in his eyes, "There was no way we could have been prepared."

Oddly enough, my eyes didn't well up at the sight of my destroyed town. I didn't take a second glance at the town.

"There are only twelve graves," I said, "Where are the rest? There were well over seventy elves living here at the time of the attack."

"Where did they go?" I was a bit frantic. There was no possible way that fifty-eight bodies would pick up and leave on their own.

"Seven escaped into the woods," Vrael said, then looked at me, "The rest were taken by the Ra'zac."

My eyes widened.

"What!?" I screamed, "Why?"

"We don't know," Malï said, "But we did riddle out a few possible reasons."

"They shot with two kinds of arrows," Katalina said, "One kind with white feathers, one kind with black feathers." I tried to remember. Airdail's arrow had had black feathers.

"They left those with the black arrows, and they soon died," Jura said, "Those were dipped in Sether oil." My body jolted unnaturally at this. My mother had had no chance.

"The ones hit with the white arrows," Katalina continued, "did not die no matter where they were hit. They were taken by the Ra'zac."

"I tested the one arrow we found, and could tell it was poisoned- it wreaked with poison- but I couldn't tell what kind," Jura said. His face showed the frustration he had felt, "I used every spell I knew and made some up to try and figure it out, but it didn't respond to anything!" He clenched his teeth and balled up his fists.

I laid a hand on his shoulder and he immediately calmed. They all watched as I turned and walked the graves, then the destroyed town. I found the house I was searching for.

I entered Rhunon's doorway, surveying my surroundings. Apparently the Ra'zac did not care if we came fully armed. Nothing was stolen from the forge. There was even a chain mail shirt, still in progress, sitting before the now smothering fire.

"Malï," I said, she rushed to my side as I removed my pack, setting it on the ground, "Could you classify these weapons for me?" Her eyes glittered with excitement as I removed the hand and a half sword that I had found in the cave, the human-made one.

She took it and excitedly unsheathed it. Her face then immediately became serious, and she scrutinized it with her expert eye.

"Katalina," I said removing the bow and quiver of arrows, "could you help me with these?" She walked forward in a more dignified manner, but her eyes still gleamed with the same excitement as Malï's had.

The boys looked on with curiosity at the weapons I had found. I had yet to remove Edursvar and I didn't plan on revealing the Zëis abr Wyrda unless I had no other choice. I held Bid'daum's words highly and would follow them as best I could.

"This sword is of human make," Malï said, speaking first, "but it is of the finest materials and looks to be at least two thousand years old. The balance is almost perfect. All that would need to be done to make it perfect is to shave a small amount off the blade." She looked at me for what to do next.

"Can you do so later?" I asked her.

"Yes."

"Good," I said. Then we all turned to watch Katalina, with the bow already strung, testing the flexibility and durability of the bow.

"Good bow. Well oiled by its owner. Fine wood, but again of human make and around the same age as the sword." She then picked up one of the arrows.

"Raven's feathers?" she looked puzzled, but shrugged it off, "Nicely carved shafts, pointy heads, wonderfully positioned feathers. All in all," she said, "a fine set of archery tools."

"Is there something wrong with Raven's feathers?" I asked.

"No, it's just unusual to have arrows with Raven's feathers. Uncommon," she replied.

I reached and grabbed the hilt and sheath of Edursvar, hesitated, then brought it out of the pack.

The boys stepped closer with eyes just as wide as the girls'.

I hesitated once again before handing it over to Malï. She took it with cautious hands. Lightly fingering the gems and fine silver of the hilt.

"This is Edursvar," I said.

"The Sword of Prominence?" Malï questioned.

"Yes," I said, "Be careful with it, it is older than any of the artifacts I have brought forth thus far."

"I doubt it is as breakable as you seem to think," Malï said, grabbing the hilt, but it would not budge. She pulled and tugged on it, but nothing happened.

"Stubborn piece of metal," She said, tugging all the harder. I grabbed it hastily from her hands.

She glared at it while everyone else had a mixture of curiosity and confusion written on their faces.

I stared at it as the others did. Why didn't it come unsheathed like any other normal sword. Another consciousness in the back of my mind sighed with impatience.

_Because it's not a normal sword, Kyra._

I froze. _Bid'daum?_

_No, I'm a pretty little unicorn standing outside the forge._

I leaned and looked outside the door. There was nothing there.

I could almost feel the dragon roll his eyes. _Yes, it's me, Kyra._

My eyes widened, "How did _this_ happen?"

"How did what happen?" Vrael asked. They were all looking at my shocked expression with confusion.

"Um," _Help me Bid'daum!_ But his voice was silent, "Nothing."

"Why won't that bloody sword come unsheathed like any other, normal bloody sword?!" Malï asked.

"Because it's not a normal sword, Malï." Deja vu. "I don't know. I'm sure there's a reason for its stubbornness."

"Kyra, it's a sword," Malï said, "It's supposed to do what _we_ want it to do, not what it wants to do!"

_Stupid elf, _Bid'daum's voice said,_ that's like saying a dragon is a nice household pet. Swords made from dragon's scales are only unsheathed when the dragon approves of the person trying to wield it. _

_You're not helping, you know,_ I said, rather annoyed.

_I know,_ he said smugly,_ but it's so much fun messing with you._

I rolled my eyes. Then took a deep breath.

"Okay," I said, "we can't stay here, the Ra'zac might come back." _Very good, Kyra. You're such a bright girl._

"Um," I stumbled, "So... So what we need to do is gather supplies. We have to leave Du Weldenvarden behind or die in it. We'll be going south, to the Boer Mountains. I'm sure we can find refuge with the dwarfs."

"You mean to take us across the Hadarac Desert?" Jura asked in disbelief.

"No," I said, "I mean to take us through Du Weldenvarden to Síthrim, then we'll ride around Lake Ardwen until we reach the Gaena River. We'll follow that to Lake Eldor, then follow the Edda, then Az Ragini into the Boers. That should lead us directly to Farthen Dûr."

Everyone stared at me like I was insane.

"That's a long ways to walk," Katalina said.

"Which is why we'll ride horses."

"And where are we getting these horses?" Vrael asked.

_I hadn't thought that part out. Great. An incredible plan ruined by a lack of horses._ I could have smacked myself.

_There are wild horses everywhere, _Bid'daum said, _you can easily tame them with your minds. Tell them that._

I repeated his words. No one could argue with Bid'daum's logic.

_Thank you,_ I said.

_You're welcome, little hatchling._

"We need to scourge the town for supplies," I instructed, "Katalina, you check the south, Vrael, north, Jura, east, Malï, west."

"What about you?" Vrael asked.

"I'll be searching this shop for weapons," I replied easily. Vrael nodded. They all scattered to their different assigned areas.

I searched Rhunon's shop for swords. We all had bows, but swords were presented at an elf's 100th birthday. We were all under half a century old. Vrael and I were half a century old.

I found four swords of incredible make. They had different colored jewels on the end that matched their blades.

They all came back in around the same time, setting down the supplies they had found in a big pile.

I tossed them randomly at them as they came in. They took them without objection, pulled them out of their hilts, and examined them. Or had Malï examine them.

"So, when am I shaving that blade, Kyra?" Malï asked me.

"When are you free?" I asked jokingly. She smiled.

"When are you?" I laughed.

"Can I watch?" I asked.

"Sure." With that she grabbed the sword from the floor where I had left it and took it over to a stone wheel. "Shaving a blade isn't all that exciting," she warned.

"I'm interested," I countered.

"Alright," she started the wheel spinning with a foot pedal, then touched the blade to the stone. Moving it in just the right way and flipping it occasionally, she produced a beautiful blade that, in the end, was perfectly balanced.

"There you go," she said, handing me the sword.

I touched the warm blade, feeling how smooth the metal felt.

"Thank you, Malï-elda," I said, "You are truly gifted in this art."

She dismissed my words with a gesture of her hand, "You could have done that with the same results."

"I'm sorry," I said. Her brow furrowed.

"About what?"

"I should have been here," I said, "I could have made a difference."

"Kyra," Malï said, "what happened wasn't your fault. Don't apologize." She looked at my still-guilty face.

"If the tattoo artist were still alive, I would have a yawë branded into my back for you. That's how much I trust your judgment," I didn't know what to say. _Thank her, hatchling._

"Thank you," I said. I meant the words. They were some of the truest I had ever spoken.

When I stood, I twisted my hand and bowed to her, she returned the gesture then said in the ancient language.

"May good fortune rule over you."

"Peace live in your heart."

"And the stars watch over you."

**Why is Bid'daum still in Kyra's head? Review with your best guess, even if the next chapter is up. I want to see how accurate you guys are. ( isn't that a great way to end the chapter?)  
**


	7. Conversations

**Not Paolini. **

The next morning, we set off into the woods with a small pack on each of our backs. We walked into the sunrise. It was slow going on foot.

_I'm hungry._

_Then go and hunt something, hatchling._ I sighed.

_I don't eat meat._

_Oops,_ he said,_ I forgot._

I rolled my eyes. Why did I have to have a sarcastic dragon in my head? I mean, he lived thousands of years ago. He wasn't _my_ dragon. Why was he in my head?

_Actually, I have a few theories on that._ He said pensively.

_And what might those be?_

_Well, actually... I only have one theory, but it's plausible. _I growled outwardly, causing a few of my fellow travelers to give me funny looks, which I ignored. I could deal with their curiosity later, right now I was angry with the dragon in my head.

_Well,_ he said,_ I think that whoever has possession of Edursvar has to deal with me._

_So, _I said, smiling,_ If I threw Edursvar into a river..._

_Ha, ha._

I chuckled to myself.

"Kyra."

"Yes, Vrael?"

"Where are these horses you were speaking of?"

_Bid'daum?_ Silence. I waited.

_Bid'daum? _Nothing.

"Curse you," I mumbled, then said more audibly, "I'm working on it."

Some underbrush rustled to my left.

_Watch out, Kyra!!_

A black cat sprang out at me, knocking me over. We wrestled with each other, rolling over and over through the brush, barely avoiding trees.

"_Letta!"_ I screamed with body and mind, the leopard paused, "Eka fricai."

We looked at each other for a few seconds. Then something very odd happened. I felt its mind brush against mine. My eyes widened in shock, my mind automatically closed itself.

Its golden eyes looked with... confusion. I felt it prodding the barriers of my mind. Slowly, I opened up.

_Hello._ I was shocked. That voice was not Bid'daum's voice.

_I am Raja._

_You can talk?_ I was shocked.

_Yes, I suppose I can._ He said, a deep rumble issuing from his chest. _I met a werecat wandering through the woods a few years back and he taught me to speak using my mind. He said I would need the skill to accomplish my destiny._

That's when I noticed a considerably large leather bag tied around his neck._ What's that?_

_This,_ he said, looking at it,_ the werecat gave me this too. He said to take good care of it. I haven't ever once gotten it wet, not even when it rains._

I examined it for a while then realized I was laying across a rather uncomfortable root.

_May I get up?_

_Oh, yes, _He looked a little abashed,_ Sorry._

_It's alright._

We re-entered the path we had been traveling, side-by-side. Jura was staring at us with his mouth open. Everyone else looked equally as shocked.

_Awkward,_ Bid'daum spoke up.

_Who's that?_ Raja asked.

_Greetings, little cub, I am the white dragon Bid'daum._

_Nice to meet you. I am the black leopard Raja._

"AAAAHHHHH!!" I screamed, clutching my ears and falling to my knees in anguish.

"Kyra!" Vrael asked, running over to me, "What's wrong?"

I glared up at him.

"They're talking in my bloody head." he looked shocked.

"Who is?"

"The bloody leopard and the bloody dragon." _Oh, will you ever forgive me for causing you mental harm_,_ Kyra,_ Bid'daum asked with a fake motherly voice. I sighed.

"_You're not helping."_ I had had just about enough.

Everyone in the group was looking at me stupidly, as though what I had just said was absolutely absurd. They wouldn't think it were absurd if a leopard and a dragon were having a conversation in _their_ heads.

I got up.

"Raja," _Yes?_ "have you seen a group of animals that could carry us?"

_All of you at the same time?_

"No, each of us would have to have one. And they'd have to be able to carry us and these traveling bags over a rather large distance." I said. He thought for a bit.

_Follow me._ He said, running north-east, into the woods.

_Yes, follow the pretty kitty._

_Bid'daum._ Raja and I scolded at the same time.

_Sorry._

"Lets go," I said to my fellow verbalists, "Raja's going to show us where to find steeds."

"Kyra, what-"

"We'll talk about it later." With that I ran into the forestry after Raja, the others followed.

**Not my longest chapter, but hey... pretty cool, eh. When Kyra's speaking in the ancient language, she said "Stop! I am friend!" to Raja. **

**Review and tell me which werecat Raja probably ran into in Du Weldenvarden. You have a fifty percent chance of getting it right. It's either Maud, the ancient werecat of the elves, or Solebum, the werecat of the herbalist Angela.**

**It's your guess. Guess wisely...**


	8. Confessions

**I am Christopher Paolini. (I wish)**

I followed Raja downwind from a herd of sambar stags. They looked to be about five feet at the shoulder and had antlers to boot. We would likely rouse suspicion in any town we entered and adding elves to their backs would likely do nothing to improve that.

"They'll hold us," I said in an effort to find the good in riding an elk-sized deer.

"Yes, but how will we convince them to do so?" Jura asked.

"With our minds, just like we would have done with a herd of horses." Vrael answered.

"Which ones?" Katalina asked.

"Pick the sturdiest. We don't need beautiful, we need reliable. Able to cross large amounts of terrain without giving out." I answered.

"I'll take the dark one on the right side of the herd. He looks sturdy enough and his antlers are small and won't cause much harm." Jura said. He headed off in that direction. Katalina spoke next.

"I'll take the gray one on the far side of the herd. His mind feels dedicated and determined. If I can get him on my side he won't fail me," she took off, circling the herd.

"I'll take the honey-colored one near the middle," Vrael said. It was the biggest and sturdiest of them all, there was no need to explain why he chose him.

"That black one looks nice," Malï said, sounding a bit nervous, "He's small but so am I. He'll be great with me." The black one was probably the smallest, but looked very sturdy and was perfectly built to carry Malï.

_I'd go with the russet-colored one on the left, _Bid'daum commented.

_Thanks, _I said, shaking my head and walked towards it, reaching out with my mind.

We were sitting around the fire that night, the five sambar stags standing on the outskirts, warily eyeing Raja and the fire. Vrael, Malï, Jura, and Katalina were sitting on the opposite side of the fire as Raja and I. There was a very awkward silence in which we just stared at each other. Then Vrael shifted.

"Where were you in those two weeks you were gone?" He asked slowly. I exhaled the air I had been holding in. Should I tell them about Bid'daum?

_Kyra,_ he responded to his name in my thoughts,_ If you wish to tell them anything remotely close to the truth, you'll have to tell them everything. _

_But what do I say about you talking in my head?_

_The truth._

"Alright," I said.

"Start at the beginning," Malï said, "Where were you before you disappeared?"

"My mother and I were at Rhunon's talking after dinner. They obviously wanted to talk about adult things and wanted me away, so I left. I bargained that Airdail wouldn't be home for a while, so I decided to walk through Du Weldenvarden, then go home. While I was walking, I, quite literally, stumbled upon a valley," I then proceeded to tell them everything.

I showed them the Zëis abr Wyrda and brought Edursvar back out. I opened my mind for them to talk with Bid'daum. Raja even spoke with each of them, seconding Bid'daum's existence in my mind.

I told everything. I even confessed to not really liking being treated differently because of my bloodline, which was what drove me into the forest most of the time.

"The trees don't laugh, or point and stare," I said. There was an odd silence afterwards in which everyone tried to get used to everything I had presented.

"So... this is for real?" Vrael said.

"You think I'd make this stuff up?" I said. We sat in silence.

"You know," Malï said, "I think I've read about this valley before... yeah. There was a scholar who, on his travels to unlock the secrets of Du Weldenvarden, found a valley with a still lake and a foreboding cave. He wrote a verse about the grass. How it seemed to usher him away. Exactly as you described it.

"But he lived about five thousand years ago. How the valley could remain exactly the same over all this time is inconceivable,"

"Bid'daum said that there had been only three people to visit the valley in all, including me," I confessed, "there was a scholar, a nineteen year old boy, then me and I was the only one to find Edursvar in the lake."

"And neither you or Bid'daum know why your minds are still connected?" Katalina asked.

"No," I said.

_Maybe you're his rider._ Raja said to the entire group.

"That's not possible," I said, "Eragon was his rider and he lived thousands of years ago."

_Do you have a better idea?_ He asked.

"I agree with Bid'daum's theory. It has to have something to do with Edursvar, but I think it's the fact that you found it," Vrael said, then continued.

"The last person to touch the blade was Eragon, right?"

_Yes._

"So, because you touched the sword you...," he searched for a word, "inherited all of Eragon's...," again the right word eluded him, "things. Including his dragon's consciousness," Vrael finished his theory.

_I must admit, that is the best idea I've heard so far. _Bid'daum said.

"I don't know," I disagreed, "For some reason that just doesn't add up to me. But, then again, I've had a very stressful day. What with dragons and leopards talking to each other in my head and having to tame a wild animal. I'm just going to rest my mind and worry about it in the morning."

"I believe I'll join you," Vrael said. Everyone got two blankets out of their packs, laying one on the ground and one over them. We used our packs as pillows.

"Good night," I said, "don't run away in the morning because you decide I'm crazy. I'll go mad if you do." a few people sleepily huffed a few laughs and Vrael said,

"Good night, Kyra. Won't see you in the morning." I laughed, silently.

_Good night, little hatchling,_Bid'daum whispered, then hummed a slow rhythm in his rumbling voice. I was soon asleep.

**Once again, not the longest, but I wanted to get something up. I hate it when authors don't write anything for a week, so I'll try my hardest not to do it to you.**

**I don't have a question for you this time, so just tell me what you think so far. What you think will happen, who you think they'll meet, who's the enemy and who's not, will they make it to the Boers...? Anything you can think of. I want to know what you guys truly think. **

**What you guys say is what is true. If I didn't have you to read my stuff, there'd be no reason for me to write it. **

**Until next time,**

**J. Dunkan**


	9. History

**This has got to be one of the most conversational chapter in the story. More is yet to come. I am not Paolini.**

In the morning, we started our journey. Putting out the fire and mounting the Sambar, we started the first long leg to the city of Síthrim.

Raja scouted the countryside ahead of us for possible dangers. The Sambar were, surprisingly, very nice rides. We were hardly jarred even when they were trotting. Walking was most pleasant as in that gait it felt as though you were being rocked into sleep.

The miles slipped by us. The long legs of our steeds carried us quickly and quietly through the underbrush.

Bid'daum commented infrequently on our direction or my health. I corrected where he told me to, the others followed without question.

_What do you plan on doing once you reach the dwarfs?_ He asked me. My head jolted upwards. I blinked a few times to wake myself up, then contemplated his question.

_I don't know,_ I said, _I suppose I'll try to live a normal life._

_I don't think that's possible, Kyra. Even if I weren't talking in your head and you hadn't found Edursvar and the Zëis abr Wyrda, you couldn't achieve that. _

Being unable to argue, I was silent for a bit, then said,_ You wouldn't know, Bid'daum... but the elves are all but extinct on Alaga__ë__sia. We're a dying race. Soon, we won't exist. We'll fade just like the dragons did._

He was confused_, Why? From what I've seen of the elves you are a thriving culture. _

_Yes, but that is just in Ellesm__é__ra. That's the biggest of the elven cities,_ I almost cried as I added,_ and now it's destroyed. _

_Tell me what's bothering you, Kyra._ His voice was advent. He was worried and really wanted to know.

_I don't know what it is. _I said in frustration._ I feel lost. Like there's something I'm missing and I have to find it or _all_ will be lost. It's as though life's meaning has disappeared from my sight. _

_I'm sure there are many elves who would be willing to avenge your town's destruction._

_I don't care about that._ I waved my hand through the air in a dismissive manner. Vrael looked up.

_What are you two fighting about? _He asked from the back of Vüer (pronounced: _voor_).

_Nevermind, little one. It is a personal matter between myself and Kyra. Please go back to your musings._ Bid'daum easily dismissed Vrael from the conversation. Vrael himself, withdrew without grudge.

_What did you mean, 'We're a dying race?' You look very much alive to me. _I gazed down at the moving, reddish shoulder blades of Kukin (_koo-kin_), my stag, and thought for a bit. How could I explain such feelings of emptiness to a dragon?

_This emptiness is not forgein to me, little hatchling. _His consciousness smiled knowingly. _I have lived millinia without my rider. I might have been born a wild dragon, but I hatched when he touched my shell. He was my best friend. Do not preach to me about feeling empty and lost._ I was silent. It was true. I had no right to complain. He had gone through much worse than I ever could.

_Kyra,_ I lifted my eyes to show that I was listening,_ Where were you before I met you? Start at the beginning. I want to know everything._

_If I am to tell you of the struggles I am facing today, then I must tell you of past events. Times way before my time and way after yours._

_I'm listening._

_Two thousand years ago, Eragon found a sapphire egg in the Spine. That egg hatched into the dragon Saphira, the last female. The new rider and dragon were immediately thrust into a war between the Varden and the Empire. _

_This Eragon,_ Bid'daum inquired,_ What was his lineage? Who were his parents? What was his race?_

_Eragon's parents are a mystery. His mother was said to have had him at her brother's house and then left, but it is uncertain who she might be and the father is, therefore, not traceable. And he was a human. _Bid'daum was confused.

_How can it not be known to whom the rider of the last female dragon was birthed or conceived?_

_It was never recorded in the history books. _I said.

_Fine._ He said hardly,_ go on._

_They chose the side of the Varden and in a dual, Eragon, riding Saphira, and Galbatorix, riding a stolen dragon, Shruikan. They fought and, in the end, Galbatorix and Shruikan, the last male dragon, were slain._

_So there were only two dragons in existence then and the last male died?_ He asked in disbelief._ Weren't there any eggs?_

_No. _I said sadly._ Saphira and Shruikan were the last hope for the race of the dragons. _We shared a moment of silence as Bid'daum took this information in.

_What did they do?_

_They left. _A great sadness radiated to me from Bid'daum's consciousness, I choked back tears._ On a great ship with the elves and dwarfs. Saphira was said to have been seen flying around the mast, then landing in the water and disappearing under the surface to burst back out again. Eragon waved happily back at the shore to his family. No one ever saw them again._

_Wait,_ Bid'daum's confusion swept over me, _You said Eragon left with the elves. Then why are you here?_

_Some of us stayed behind, _I said,_ and now those who remain are dying out. Disappearing. Or being destroyed by the Ra'zac._

Bid'daum contemplated what I had said for a moment._ What does all this have to do with you?_ I blanched. What did it all have to do with me?

_I guess,_ I hesitated, _I guess that... a part of me knows that I'm doomed and that no one can help me. I'm truly alone in this world and no one can change that. _

_Kyra,_ Bid'daum said,_ you're never alone. You have friends all around you. All you have to do is look._

I did and he was right. They were all around me._ There are even some inside you._ I laughed out loud, waking Jura up from his nap on the back of Jäsen (_jae-sin_). Everyone looked up in time to see Jura fall tiredly off his steed and heavily on the ground.

Katalina started giggling, then laughing so hard that she joined him on the ground. Her steed, Katán (_cat-tan_), sniffed at her wriggling body, unsure of how to react.

Malï's hand was covering her mouth and her shoulders were hunched and shaking. I could tell that she was trying desperately not to fall off Maemen (_may-men_).

The pure hilarity of it all was priceless. I dismounted to save myself a few bruises. Kukin stopped and looked back at me questioningly. I touched his mind and tried to explain, but couldn't.

In the end, we were all rolling on the ground, our steeds looking at us as though we were crazy. Bid'daum was laughing as well. With his joy and mine it took all my will power to keep my pants dry.

By the time we had all calmed down, our Sambar were grazing, completely ignoring us, and our stomachs ached from laughing so hard.

I sighed largely. It had felt good to laugh after such a long time of seriousness. _Bid'daum._

_Yes?_

_That was fun, wasn't it? Laughing like that. _

_Yes. It was, _he laughed_, quite fun._

_I think we should do this more often._

_I agree._

I stood up, walked over, and grabbed Kukin's reins. He immediately rose his head and looked at me. I laughed at his puzzled expression then stroked his forehead. He closed his eyes and made a sort of purring noise. I wrapped my arms around his neck. The purring was loud against my ear.

We stood there for a while before Bid'daum interrupted with a, _Sorry to interrupt, but I had been hoping to reach Sí__thrim today, but your little side-track has cost us quite a bit of time._

_We can reach Sí__thrim today?_

_Yes, of course we can. These deer are surprisingly fast, even at walking speed. I can only wonder what it would be like to ride one in full gallop. _

_It would be breathtaking._

_But not as breathtaking as riding a dragon._

_I don't think anything can be as breathtaking as riding a dragon._

_No. Nothing can._ He said smugly.

I rolled my eyes as I mounted Kukin, _So are we riding to Sí__thrim or not?_

_Head due east and you can't miss it._

"We're going to make it to Síthrim today!" I announced, "Come on. Let's go!"

**Ahhh... S****í****thrim. Such a town. Such a fateful town.**


	10. The White Arrow

**And I give you Chapter numero nueve!! I am not Paolini.**

We entered through Síthrim's main entrance, not wanting to startle the town too much. I was the first to step foot in the city's borders.

My eyes filled with tears. I hung my head in grief.

Síthrim had been completely destroyed. Bodies with protruding black arrows were strewn across the ground and over the windowsills on houses. Children and the elderly were all that were killed. The strong were nowhere to be found.

As Kukin moved farther forward into the town, the bodies grew less frequent, but bloodstains were seen more often. Those who had not died had all been dragged to the center square then had disappeared.

A white arrow lay, bloody, on the ground as testament. The Ra'zac had massacred this town. I dismounted Kukin, walked over, and picked up the bloody arrow. It was still warm.

I swore. This was not how things were supposed to be. The elves were more powerful than an entire army of Ra'zac and yet they could slay us so easily?

This was _not_ how things were supposed to be. I flung the arrow to the ground and rushed away in anger. I could feel the other's eyes on my back as I stormed off in a fury, but I didn't care. This town didn't deserve to die. No one had deserved to die.

But they did. I walked back into the trees. Once I was a good ten yards into them I roared my frustrations into the air.

I fell to my knees and sobbed. I sobbed for Síthrim. I sobbed for Ellesméra. I sobbed for everything lost, but never forgotten.

_Kyra,_ Bid'daum's voice hummed in my head. I didn't answer.

_Come now, Kyra,_ he prodded gently, _I know it's bad, but you can't let your grief take over your life._

I held on to his every word. He didn't know it, but his voice was sucking the poisonous anger and grief out of my body.

_I know how easy it is to let your life be ruled by that anger and grief, _he said,_ I've sunk into that bottomless pit. I was so far gone that I didn't even recognize myself. _I was paying full attention to him now. His words held me.

_I don't want you to wake up one day and realize that you've turned into a monster,_ then he said with great pain, _I don't want you to realize your too late to change what you've become._

_Is that what happened to you?_ I asked.

_Yes. _He was such a mystery. The fact that he was even talking about his past made me want to keep him talking. I wished nothing more than to learn more about him. He had barely passed into the history books when he disappeared.

_After Eragon died,_ he said,_ I grew more and more bitter. I was soon more fierce than the wildest dragon. No one could stop me. So I would destroy towns upon towns just to try and appease my anger and grief. _

_But none of it helped._

_I was lounging in my cave one day when they attacked. Elven solders, about one hundred. _I gasped. This was no where in the history books. For the elves to attack a dragon was inconceivable.

_But you must understand, Kyra, _Bid'daum tried to explain in my head,_ I was a monster. I was no longer Bid'daum, the first of the Shur'tugan. I was a creature ruled by hate. _I tried to understand, but could do nothing but grasp the concept. I could never see the calm and comforting voice in my head as riddled with pain and hatred.

_So we fought, and I lost._ I thought of the cave with Bid'daum trapped in the crystal. _Yes. I was impaled with enchanted weapons to ensure that they embedded deep beneath my scales. _ Tears for Bid'daum welled up into my eyes.

_Just as I was to draw my final breath, to roar my final roar, I realized the monster I had become. But it was too late to save myself by then and I knew it._

_But I was not to die. I felt magic well up from deep within me. It flowed from the stone beneath my feet and filled me to the top with power enough for one last, great action._

_I released the magic and was forever frozen in time. I sealed the valley of my cave from all but those with the heart of a dragon rider, and a powerful one at that. Then I waited for one to come who would awaken me._

_Three came. The first studied in fear, then quickly left. The second found refuge in my cave and valley and stayed for a week. He didn't even mean to leave. He took his horse and a few supplies and went out hunting, not realizing that he would never return._

_Then you came and found Edursvar and the Zëis abr Wyrda. When you left, you ate my fruit, which none had dared do before. Most importantly, when you left you took me with you. _

I thought about this. I hadn't meant to do any of those things. Well, I had meant to eat the fruit, but I hadn't thought anything of it. I was hungry and there was some non-poisonous food so, why not eat it?

_Do you think that me eating your fruit made me take you with me?_

_No._ He dismissed that idea without holding anything back.

_That fruit has a rejuvenating factor in it. Its purpose is to make the subject stronger. Because you ate it, you could probably go a month without food or water and survive. I wouldn't suggest it though. _

_I'm going to get up now,_ I said.

_Alright._

I sat then stood. When I turned around, I saw Kukin laying on the ground, looking at me. I stood there, a bit shocked for a second, in which time he pulled his forelegs in front of him and hoisted himself up, above the ground.

He walked over to me and nuzzled my shoulder. I smiled and rubbed his forehead. He purred.

"Come on, Kukin. Let's get back to the others," Bid'daum smiled as we started our walk back.

We re-entered the town from where we had exited.

"I'm back," I said. They all turned in their saddles to watch me. A whistling noise cut through the air, followed by a soft thud.

Shocked eyes turned and followed Katalina as she slid off Katán's back, a white arrow protruding from her chest.


	11. Antidote

**Not Paolini.**

The whiz of more arrows followed. I looked up.

"Ra'zac!" I screamed, "Get the Sambar into the trees, hurry! I'll get Katalina." I rushed over to her side, muttering a spell to keep the arrows away.

I pulled the arrow out of her convulsing chest and threw her over the back of Katán. We rushed into the forest. I found the others tying their Sambar to trees.

"No!" I said, untying Vüer, "They need to be able to get away if they must," I turned to Jura, "Bind Katalina to Katán." he hurried to complete the task I had given him.

I pulled Edusvar from my pack and buckled it around my waist. I did the same with my quiver of arrows and strapped them to my back, then strung my bow in one quick motion.

"Let's go." We jogged back to the edge of the trees. Arrows knocked, we approached silently. No leaf crackled nor stick cracked under out feet. The enemy had landed in the middle of the city. We surveyed them.

Two Lethrblaka, three Ra'zac. The Ra'zac were clicking at each other angrily. The Lethrblaka were sniffing the air for our scent.

_What kind of creatures are _they_? _Bid'daum asked with obvious disgust.

_The worst kind. They cannot use magic, but they have festered and grown in the heart of Alagaësia. They are the army of the Unknown King._

_Unknown?_ Bid'daum asked.

_No one who's seen his face has lived to tell of it. Only the Ra'zac, his faithful servants, have survived it, but they aren't telling of its horror._ I explained.

The unknown king.

He has ruled since the fall of Galbatorix. It was rumored that the king was an elf, but this was not true. The king was a monstrous human. A genius in poisons and elixirs.

And he had found one elixir that made him immortal. And invented poisons that tortured but did not kill. It was said that screams echoed constantly from the dungeons of Gil'ead.

And now he had sent his most trusted servants to destroy the race of the Elves. I wasn't going to let that happen without a fight.

I drew back my arrow.

_Wait!_ Bid'daum shouted in my mind. _Let us not kill them. _

I was confused. If I didn't kill them, then they would just destroy more.

_Let us send them back to their king with the tidings of a dragon._ He said. I heard a sly smile in his words. My brows furrowed.

_How will we do that?_

_Follow my lead._ He said. _Tell the others to stand ready, but not to shoot unless it is absolutely necessary._

I relayed Bid'daum's orders then followed the pull on my mind.

It lead me around to the other side of the city's border.

_Now,_ he said,_ open your mouth and yell._

_What?!_

I'd been holding my breath. When I let it lose, a rumbling growl escaped my lips, twenty times louder than I could ever make by myself. My eyes widened in shock as the enemy turned away from the others and faced me, still hidden in the trees, a bit frantic.

_Roar!!!!!_ He said with excitement. I sucked in another breath and...

Bid'daum's roar echoed across city's ruins from my mouth.

_Brisingr, _Bid'daum's mind summoned the magic and a column of fire shot out from where I was standing, singeing the cloth covering the Ra'zac. I jumped in shock. _Once more, _his mind gently prodded laced with the same excitement as before.

I opened my mouth again and another roar threw the Raz'ac into a frenzy. They jumped desperately on the Lethrblaka's backs and took off, shaking and fueled by fear.

I watched them go in disbelief, then something welled up inside me. I screamed in pure joy and jumped into the air. What was this feeling? This happiness?

_It is the joy of victory, little hatchling,_ Bid'daum answered my unasked question.

"Can you feel it, Bid'daum?" I screamed as I sailed fifteen feet above the ground.

He answered with another roar from my mouth. I laughed with pure bliss.

Then I landed, and remembered. _Katalina!_

I raced into the forest, the others were already crowded around her convulsing form.

She was sweating and mumbling. Shaking as though she were very sick. I felt her head. She was burning up.

I started to mumble in the ancient language. I was handed damp rags, which I draped over her forehead. A wineskin found its way into my hand, I poured the alcohol down her throat.

Nothing I did helped.

"Jura," I said. He looked up, "You have to find an antidote for the poison on that arrow."

"But I can't," He said desperately, "I can't even find out what it is. I'll never find the cure. Besides, I don't have the proper herbs to make something to soothe an upset stomach, much less heal such a severe wound."

I turned to him, desperate, "Figure something out," I said, staring deep into his eyes, "We can't just let her die."

I went back to trying anything and everything to help Katalina, but with shaking hands. My entire body felt heavy. I knew despair was making my hands clumsy. I tried to ignore the feeling of hopelessness creeping up inside of me, but I knew what was coming. I felt tears fall down my cheeks.

Katán was barely feet from us, whimpering. His eyes shown with sincere concern for his master.

Raja appeared out of the trees. With his eyes on Katalina, he walked over to me and pushed on the barriers around my mind, asking to be let in. I obliged, letting my despair flow into his mind, but it didn't lessen the intensity.

_She's been hit with a white arrow._ He said.

_Yes._

_She doesn't have much time._ His eyes stayed on Katalina, _Take the pouch from my neck._

_What?_

_Just do it._ I leaned over and untied the mysterious bag from around the leopard's neck.

_Open it._ I did. Inside there was a number of viles with crushed and dried herbs in them. I took then out.

Jura came into my line of vision. His eyes held some hope. He looked at me.

"Get something to mix them in," he commanded as he grabbed the bag from me. I decided not to argue. I grabbed a piece of hardened leather and handed it to him.

Jura immediately started mixing the herbs together with an expertise beyond my understanding. When he looked to be almost done, he paused for half a second, then spoke quickly.

"Now,"he instructed, "All it needs is three drops of your blood."

I took out my knife and pressed the sharp edge against my wrist. _One... Two... Three._

"Done."

He mixed that together. With the addition of my blood, the concoction, which had been a powder, turned quickly into a salve that looked to me like a very thick potato soup. When this happened, something in Jura's face relaxed immensely.

He opened Katalina's shirt. The wound was swollen, red, and pussing. He ran his fingers through the antidote then spread it over the ooze.

It was immediately went down. He got more of the salve from the leather and repeated the action. Katalina stopped shaking.

With overflowing hope he repeated the cycle a third time. The wound was almost back to normal. After the fourth time, it looked like a regular arrow wound. I moved in and started to treat it as such.

I poured some alcohol into it, making Katalina jerk with the pain, then wrapped it tightly to help stop the bleeding. I re-wet the rag and padded it all around Katalina's face. She was breathing more normally now.

She had been lucky. The arrow had missed her vitals.

I got out my and her blankets and made her as comfortable as I could. I retied the pouch on Raja's neck, then beckoned Jura to follow me, leaving Raja to watch over Katalina.

I walked back to Síthrim where the others were busying themselves nervously trying to scourge supplies. The moment they saw me, they all rushed over.

"She's fine," I said holding my hands up in front of me to ward off their questions, even though they were silent with fear, "Thanks to Jura, she'll heal and be just fine."

Everyone relaxed visibly. Jura looked sideways at me. The others left and continued to look for supplies in pairs, conversing a little more naturally.

I turned to Jura.

"That was amazing," I said, "How did you do that?"

"When I saw the herbs Raja had, I immediately thought of the antidote that I used," he looked like he was thinking very hard about something, "It happened to be one of the strongest antidotes known to elf-kind," he said, "But what I don't understand is how it worked."

"What do you mean?" He took in a deep breath.

"That wasn't just any antidote. It's riddled with magic." I still didn't understand.

"Did you notice my hesitation before I asked for your blood?" he said. I nodded, "That's because this particular antidote calls for three drops of dragon's blood."

My eyes widened.

"I had to do some quick thinking," he said, "I used your blood because you're being possessed by a dragon. It was the only option that came to my mind. I didn't stop and think about what would happen if you're blood failed." He was looking at me, calculating my reaction.

"_I _possess dragon's blood?" I asked. _How could that be remotely possible?_

"The antidote without the blood is useless. It won't do anything, except maybe worsen the condition of the patient," Jura's face contorted, "I decided to take that risk. You were right. She would have died if we hadn't done something.

"The moment the herbs turned that thick consistency with the little hydration your blood provided, I knew it had worked," he said, "you're blood's thick with very powerful blood. Normally, the antidote would have to be used ten to fifteen times to be as effective as it was." I barely heard him.

_Dragon's blood? Did you know about this, Bid'daum?_ I asked him. He thought for a moment.

_It makes some sense, _he said,_ I don't technically have a body, so I sort of share yours. As such, it would add up that you would have some dragon blood in your system. _

"I'm going to go and check on Katalina," Jura said, then turned and disappeared back into the forest.

_We can think about all we've learned today later. Right now, we need to gather supplies and get away from here as quickly as we can._ Bid'daum interrupted my ponderings. I took a deep breath.

_You're right. _I said.

I joined the others in trying to find supplies in the ruins of Síthrim.**  
**

**Has anyone figured out why Kyra is undergoing all these changes? **


	12. Hadarac Desert

**Okay, so I don't really have an excuse for not updating this story for a year. I could say I just let things pile up, and it's true, but that's not an equetable excuse for a year's absence of entries. Okay, here's the next chapter.**

_Dragon's blood,_ I thought in disbelief, _What else do you think our bond has done to me?_

_I can't be entirely sure,_ said Bid'daum,_ the fact that you have inherited some of my blood is remarkable. That hasn't happened before unless there was a transfusion, and even then it was only temporary. I can't be sure, but as far as I can infer, it's not possible that my presence in your mind is the only thing affecting your genetic make up_.

_We'll have to think more on this later_, I said_, you may not remember, but I do. We happen to be traveling haphazardly in the Hadarac Desert._ It had been three days since the attack. They had then decided the fastest path was the safest one, and had moved into the Hadarac desert, keeping the Sambar at a slow gallop when we could, a fast trot when they were tired.

Katalina had woken up about an hour after I had bandaged her wound. The instant she regained conciousness, she scolded me for not healing her with magic, then did so herself.

I didn't tell her that I hadn't trusted myself with such a concentrated form magic after such strenuous events. Jura had been too distracted to about the implications of my blood and gathering supplies to think about healing Katalina's wound.

What worried me about Katalina, was her extreme change in habit. She had taken up eating uncooked meat since the battle, hunting with nothing but her hands. She had also been sleeping every night, not having the waking dreams that she had had before.

Where her Simbar, Katan, had been faithful to her before, mourning when he thought she was lost, he seemed to fear her now, as he would a dragon. Katalina, in turn took no more notice of Katan than if he were her mule, his only purpose being to carry her things, but not her. She ran next to us, and seemed to grow in strength every day until she could turn a block of sand a hand's length into every direction into water with very little fatigue. She could run faster than the Sambar at full gallop. Even her features changed. Her body grew more muscular, her teeth sharper, her eyes turned a slight yellow, and her skin started getting... scaly.

There were a few times when she ran off and would be gone for hours before returning.

But then there were times when she would fall over from fatigue in the middle of the day. Times when she would eat an entire herd of deer and still not be satisfied. When this happened, she would come back covered in the blood of her kill, her mind breaking down our strongest mind barriers and radiating the intense pain of hunger and remorse for killing so many. Then there were times when she would appear to shrivel in front of us from dehydration, and no matter how much water we pulled from the dry land, she would still beg for more.

During these times she would be too weak to sit up straight, and would fall to the ground. This worried me to no end.

_What do you think these extremes in behavior mean Bid'daum?_

_I don't know what was in that poison, _he said, _but whatever the poison was I think it was meant to amplify something already in the system of the person affected. When Jura added an antidote with your dragon's blood to the mix, it's almost the dragon blood reacted more strongly than her elven blood, causing her grow in strength within a very small amount of time. This would cause a natural fatigue when she overexzerts herself. Which is easy in her position. _

_Will this... _I thought,_ growing ever stop?_ I asked.

_I cannot tell._ he said.

I felt the sudden sting of hoplessness that dulled down to an ache. If Katalina died from the white arrow, what had become of the others who had been likewise affected?

_Only time can tell, hatchling_, he said in way of reply_, I have a strong feeling that our pathes will cross with the people of your village who were taken._

"The only question is," I said, "Will we make it in time to save them?"

**Alright, so I totally noticed that in one of my previous author's notes, I stated that I hated authors who didn't update for a really long time. This makes me a sad excuse for a human being. Please forgive my hypocritical behavior and the shortness of this chapter. I really wanted to get something up and don't have a lot of time on my hands, as I'm touring France at the moment and there's a time limit on the computers.**

**P.S. thanks for the message cuddlebear922 it woke me up to the fact that I was way overdue with this chapter.  
**


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